Lotion dispenser



June 10, 1952 w. w.BowMAN LOTION DISPENSER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 1, 1947 flTTO/P/VEYS.

Patented June 10, 1952 with F]: "iii In Canada June 26, 194-7 *5 claims. 222:340)

Theinvention relates to liquid dibrisrs'specially forlotiori's and thelike.

Objects and advantages of the inventionwillbe set forth in part hereinafterand in part will be obvious herefrom, or maybe le'arnedlby practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the iristrumentalitiesand combinations pointed out inthe "appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improyements herein shovvn and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to hereinand constitutinga part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, ans together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the linvention,

Of the drawings: 7

Fig. lfis a central vertical section of amechanisrn embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary'portion of Fig. 1, showing. the valve and plunger mechanism thereof in liquid dispensing position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 -3 of Fig. l Fig. is a horizontal section on line 4- 3 of Fig. 3; and p p p Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line "5-5 of Fig. 1. V

Theprimary object of the invention'is to provide an improved manually operated dispenser forliquids,"such as hand lotions or other creamy liquids, emulsions or liquid solid suspensions. Such liquid solutions or emulsion vary considerably in consistency from one batch to another and also Within the batch, with respect to thickness, viscosity and other factors which detrimentally affect the ability to dispense them in measured quantities. The invention is directed tojproviding a dispensing mechanism which is simple to operate and will deliver exactly equal volume quantities of such liquid from the original bottle or container thereof, regardless of great variations inconsistency and Viscosity. Th inre ion a s rm d a; me a ism hi h wi livera certainlyolume of'euch liquid clean-1y, at cura ellyr a d with. a quate ;i hi un ven ng all afterdripor tendency to leak after-a delivery operation. The mechanism'of the invention is also adapi fid for coin control audits construction is'sosimple that it is 'a very inexpensive device to install and operate and requires aminimum of servicing and repair. The mechaij ism also permits of considerabl controllable va ation in the amount of liquid to be delivered ra mpleadiustment f m rts. a t

Referring now in detail to the oresentprefcrred embodiment of the inventio w y 1 l t i n he aacm anymg 'dratvi liquid container or bottle [0, for'exampl commercial containerfor a hand lotion, Jergensj? is removably'mountedtopdown v r was to feedits cont ntsby'gra vity into asuitable cylindrical reservoir il 'One 'end of reservoir is closed fand'th'e other endjcoin cates bya suitable port fi l .with a vertically: posedlejection or feed cylinder l5. 'S aidicylinder l6 isdisposedat right angles to the'open'fe fi the reservoir l2 and s'erves to seal said endt of except for the communicating port M w oil is formed in the wall of cylinderl6. The 'iu pp r facesuchasthe wall fi. H V

Having generally indicated thehiaio l'ef ts of my dispensing mechanism'I shall no'vl'proceetl to describe the various parts thereofin detail. Referring first to the may be of any suitable construction preferably being formed of sheet n etalplates and, as spawn, the wall plate 25 is affixed to th wall 24 as by lag screws 25. The sides of the cabinet-comprise vertical flanges 21 and;28 which extend forwardlyiromthe rear blate'flfi. The bottom'fl is aflat plate aiiixed, as by' sp'otweldingtl, to the side walls 2i and 23 throughupturned fiangestiii and 33, respectively. The top 34 and front 'wall 36 are preferably formed of one piece bent at right angles. As shownithe rear edge 38 0f thet'op is hooked to engagea conforming tongue '9 along the top of the rearjplate 25gwhile ithebbttom r the front l tens, is preview-fa t aii'iipiiiardt 1y turned tongue. fll tolremovably engage a isuitable central slot l in thebottom platefil. The w iarr id d. i h fieii n as 'de a s which overlap the sidewallsfil and 28," wh' e the front plate 36 is ,provided withlaterally turned overlapping sideflanges 43 which, also overlap said side walls. "Thus the front plate and top maybeisnugly "but easilyeng'aged-and sprung into locked contact withthe 'fiked'parts ofthe casing. Preferably transnarent {window 45 "of iglass, plastic *or' the like is brovidcl"in theiiront it all fl housing or cabiii'etfsaifieso as to display the lotion bottle H1 and its label and contents.

The means for supporting the liquid reservoir or cylinder l2 at the desired level comprises a horizontal platform or partition 48 which is spaced above the bottom plate 30 a substantial distance and is fixed to the side walls 21 and 28 as by screw bolts 49 engaging vertical flanges on said plate 48. The forward edge 50 of said plate is upturned and spaced inwardly from the front cover 36 as shown in Fig. l. The cylinder l2 rests horizontally on the partition plate '58, being preferably welded thereto.

The bottle I is removably supported with respect to the cylinder I! so as to communicate therewith and feed its contents thereinto. For this purpose, the upper central portion of the cylinder is provided with a circular opening through which the neck 52 of the bottle can pass. The bottle is supported vertically with respect to said, opening by means of a rubber or other cushioned gasket 54 which is recessed to rest upon the upper edge of a cylindrical column 56 which rises from the top of the opening 5| and has the same interior diameter as said opening. The upper part of said gasket 54 is also recessed at 58 to receive and support the enlarged shoulder 60 of the bottle. A suitable vent iii for the admission of air is provided in the cylinder 56 as shown. Thus it will be clear that the bottle can be securely but removably set in inverted position with respect to the cylinder l2 and will therefore normally keep the same filled by gravity fiow.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for forcing or ejecting measured quantities of fluid from the interior of dispensing cylinder I6, which forms a chamber normally charged with 1iquid from cylinder l2 by means of the intercommunicating port it. As embodied, the ejecting means comprises a plunger or piston having a central actuating rod t2, the lower end of which is provided with an enlarged head 53 above which is mounted a fluid-tight gasket or piston head 64. Said gasket bears tightly against the inner smooth walls of the cylinder it and lies against the bottom face of a tubular metal cylinder 66 which closely but slidably fits the interior cylinder l5 and surrounds the plunger rod 62. An upper sealing gasket 61 is seated on the upper face of cylinder 65 and is held in tight contact with same by means of a nut 58 which engages the threaded portion 69 of rod 62. The upper end of cylinder IE is closed by a centrally bored plug 10 fixed thereto by tap screw ii, the central bore of said plug providing ample clearance for sliding movement of the piston rod 62.

Means are provided for controlling the sliding motion of the plunger with respect to the fixed cylinder i6. Said means comprises a helical spring 12, the lower end of which rests on the top of plug 10, and the upper end engages the lower surface of an adjustable bracket M which is apertured to engage the upper portion of rod 62 and is fixed in adjusted position thereon by set screw 15. It will be understood that said spring connection acts normally to urge the plunger to its uppermost stroke limit, that is, to the position shown in Fig. 1. Means for controlling the length of the downward stroke and for regulating the same comprises adjustment screw 11 which threadingly engages a suitable bore in the extended portion 18 of bracket 14. On the down stroke of the plunger the bottom end of screw 11 comes in contact with the top suriace of plug 10 and it will be understood that 4. the length of said stroke may be regulated within the limits of said adjusting screw 11.

The invention contemplates employment of any suitable manually-actuated means for operating the piston plunger [8. For this purpose there is conventionally shown an operating lever 80, one end of which projects through a suitable slot in the side wall 21 of the cabinet and is provided with an operating knob 8|. -The other or fixed end 82 of said lever is pivotally connected by pin 83 to bracket 84 on the opposite side wall 28 of the cabinet and engages the upper end of rod 62 by a suitable pin and slot connection 85 as shown. It will be understood that downward stroke of the lever 80 to the lower position shown in Fig. 3 will cause the piston l8 and its associated parts to travel downwardly within the cylinder Hi to the limit of stroke permitted by the adjusting screw Ti and that said lever, plunger and associated parts will return to the original position upon release.

It will be understood that the invention contemplates the use of suitable coin-controlled means for releasing the lever 80 for actuation upon deposit of a coin in the controlling mechanism (not shown). Also suitable means (not shown) will be provided for insuring a full return stroke of the piston and lever and a locking thereof in the uppermost position so that a second down stroke cannot be made in whole or in part until a second coin has been deposited. These devices constitute no portion of the invention here claimed and for purposes of the present disclosure may be regarded as conventional.

Referring now to those features of the invention related to the actuation of the ball valve and ejection of a supply of lotion through the opening 26, it will be clear from the drawings that the ball 22 normally rests by gravity in its seat, sealing the opening 2% from above. In accordance with the invention it is desired to displace the ball from its seat when the plunger l8 has reached a point in its downward stroke at which ejecting pressure may be exerted on the liquid in cylinder Hi. For this purpose means are provided whereby the downward movement of plunger it? will cause ball 22 to be displaced from its seat at the desired pointand to maintain said displacement while ejecting pressure is being exerted on the liquid in the cylinder. For this purpose a ball-displacing member 90, comprising an upper horizontal arm 9| is fixed to the lower end of piston rod 62 being apertured and engaging the end of said rod between the head 63 and the bottom gasket 64. v The verti-.

cally-disposed portion of said ball-displacing member extends downwardly along the inner wall of the cylinder i6 and the inner lower end thereof is bevelled at 92 to form a cam to engage and displace the ball from its closed position (Fig. l) to the fully opened position (Fig. 2).

It will be understood that as soon as the end 92 of the member 90 comes in contact with the ball, the valve begins to open and liquid ejected from the opening it. The parts are so positioned with relation to each other that the displacement of the ball begins to take place just as the lower face of the piston gasket 64 passes the flat bottom edge i5 of the port I4. As soon as this point is reached in the downward travel of the piston, communication between the bottle l0 and reservoir l2 and the lower part of cylinder [6 is cut ofi so that the full downward hydraulic pressure of the piston is exerted on that column of liquid chambered below the lip l5 of the port l4. Thus that measured column of liquid. is forceably ejected through the bottom opening 29 of the cylinder chamber for as long a time as the downward stroke of the piston continues.

Further in accordance with the invention, any tendency of liquid to drip out of the opening 20 after the down stroke of the plunger is completed is automatically prevented; That is, the upward stroke of the plunger through the chamber constituting the lower portion of cylinder l6 before the gasket 64 clears the lip 15 exerts an upward suction action on said chamber. This suction effect serves to draw up into the cylinder any residual liquid in the discharge opening 29 and duct 2! which may remain therein after the forced ejection on the down stroke. During this upward suction stroke the ball 22 remains displaced from the opening 29 because the displacing member 99 is in contact with the ball and also because the suction tends to lift it from its seat. Consequently all drip and excess liquid about the opening 213 and duct 2! are cleared away on the return or suction stroke of the plunger. When the gasket 64 moves past the lip l5 of opening 14 the suction is broken; the ball rolls back by gravity into its seat sealing the opening 20 and liquid in the reservoir I2 fills the lower portion of cylinder 16 and re-establishes the condition illustrated in Fig. 1. The vent 6| adjacent the neck of the bottle maintains atmospheric pressure on the liquid in the reservoir I2 at all times.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A liquid dispenser including in combination a reservoir for holding liquid to be dispensed, a chamber communicating with the reservoir for receiving a measured quantity of liquid therefrom, a piston movable into the chamber for forcing liquid from the chamber, a liquid outlet from the chamber, a valve for normally closing said outlet, a member operated by movement of the piston into the chamber for opening the valve, said member acting to hold the valve open during a part of the return movement of the piston from the chamber, the valve being detached from the piston and movable relatively thereto, the piston and chamber being arranged to create suction within the chamber during aid return stroke so as to retract partially expelled liquid from the outlet.

2. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber having an outlet, a gravityoperated valve normally closing said outlet, an ejector movable in said chamber to discharge liquid therefrom by hydraulic pressure and through said outlet when said valve is opened,

6 and means on said ejector to open said valve at the inception of movement of said ejector, said valve being movable relatively to the ejector in its opening and closing movements.

3. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber having an outlet, 2. ball valve normally closing said outlet, an ejector movable in said chamber to discharge liquid therefrom by hydraulic pressure and through said outlet when said valve is opened, means on said ejector normally out of contact with the ball valve but movable with the ejector to engage the ball to open said valve at the inception of movement of said ejector, and means for holding said valve open during a part of the return movement of the ejector.

4. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid receiving chamber having an outlet, a gravityoperated valve normally closing said outlet, an ejector movable in said chamber to discharge liquid therefrom by hydraulic pressure and through said outlet when said valve is opened, and a cam extending from one end of said ejector and engageable with said valve to open the same when said ejector is moved to discharge liquid from said chamber.

5. In an apparatus for dispensing hand lotion constituting a relatively viscous liquid, in combination, supply means for a quantity of lotion, a measuring chamber connected to the supply means, an outlet from the chamber wherethrough lotion can flow by gravity, a ball normally closing said outlet, a plunger movable into and out of the chamber for forcing a measured quantity of liquid through the outlet, 9. member connected to the plunger and movable to engage and displace the ball from the outlet upon discharging movement of the plunger, said member also engaging the ball and holding same away from the outlet during a portion of the return stroke of the plunger whereby suction created by said return stroke will act to draw liquid back through the outlet against gravity and prevent dripping thereof, said member being freed from contact with the ball during the final part of the withdrawing movement of the plunger to permit the ball to reseat at the outlet.

WADE W. BOWMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,396,469 Steele Nov. 8, 1921 1,466,804 Orr Sept. 4, 1923 1,714,260 Davis May 21, 1929 1,719,865 Albright July 9, 1929 1,723,909 Alvey Aug. 6, 1929 2,123,606 Latocha July 12, 1938 

